Candidate for
Attorney General; State of California; Democratic Party

Bill Lockyer was elected as California's 30th Attorney General in November 1998. Since then, Lockyer has reinvigorated the office's environmental protection, anti trust, consumer law, civil rights enforcement and law enforcement functions.

Notwithstanding Lockyer's no-nonsense approach to fighting crime, his view of the Attorney General's job is broader than being the state's "top cop." Lockyer sees his role as being a steward of justice responsible for ensuring that all of the state's residents can live, work and raise their families in a better California.

A native Californian and former teacher, Lockyer brings a distinguished career in public service to the office of Attorney General. He served in the California Legislature for 25 years, chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee for nearly a decade and was the Senate leader as President Pro Tem from 1994 to 1998.

As a legislator, Lockyer authored and supported legislation that increased criminal sentences by more than 2,000 years. He has written many of the laws that crack down on domestic violence, drunken driving, sexual predators, repeat offenders and child abusers.

As Attorney General, Lockyer has acted to improve public safety through increased attention to crime prevention and criminal apprehension, support and vigorous enforcement of firearms laws and new services to victims of crime. He has also expanded enforcement of state environmental protection laws in order to protect water quality, public health and California's natural resources. And he has established his Civil Rights Section as one of the largest state offices in the nation.

Attorney General Lockyer has made solving crimes and stopping criminals through the use of DNA technology one of his top priorities. Since taking office, he has devoted more resources to collecting and analyzing DNA samples that are searchable against crime scene DNA evidence, even in old cases once thought to be unsolvable. In fact, under Attorney General Lockyer's watch the state DNA databank has seen an exponential increase in DNA "cold hits" - cases where suspects were identified and apprehended in previously unsolved crimes.

As Co Chair of the National Association of Attorneys General Consumer Protection Committee, Attorney General Lockyer has taken a leadership role in the development of important consumer protection initiatives, including the protection of individual privacy rights, investigating unfair gasoline pricing practices and fighting identity theft.

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Attorney General Lockyer also received a teaching credential from California State University, Hayward. He earned his law degree from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento while serving in the State Senate. Lockyer has a daughter, Lisa, who is an attorney with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.